Categories
Headline Sports Business

Combination of Happy Walters, Eugene Parker & SFX Baseball Could Create the Strongest Multi-Sport Agency in America

Happy Walters

In January 2011, Happy Walters’ name was included in an email agreement as a potential purchaser of the Philadelphia 76ers.  It is probably hard for the National Basketball Players Association certified agent who represents Amar’e Stoudemire, Moe Harkless, and Iman Shumpert, to think that not long ago owning a professional basketball team was even a remote possibility.  Instead of becoming an agent-turned-owner (a la Jason Levien), Walters is poised to lead what could become the strongest multi-sport agency in America, rivaling other multi-sport representation firms including Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Wasserman Media Group, Octagon, Lagardère Unlimited, and Priority Sports & Entertainment.

The new agency is called Relativity Sports.  The company will combine Walters’ Rogue Sports (with all of its basketball players), Maximum Sports Management, and SFX Baseball.  Maximum Sports Management was started by NFLPA certified Contract Advisor Eugene Parker, and currently represents 38 active NFL players including Greg Jennings, Steven Jackson, and Ndamukong Suh.  SFX Baseball has been in the business since 1976 and recently negotiated a $35.56 million, 6-year deal with the San Francisco Giants for left-hander Madison Bumgarner.

[Related: Interview With The Agent: Tom Little of SFX Baseball]

“The partnership makes sense because it adds value for our clients from a marketing and client service perspective,” explained an SFX spokesperson. “We’ve had talks with a number of companies over the years, but Relativity was the first that we truly felt would benefit the players during and after their careers. The structure at SFX will remain the same, including all staff and the headquarters in Chicago.”

Relativity Sports was born through the efforts of Relativity Media and The Yucaipa Companies, and will represent coaches and broadcasters in addition to athletes in baseball, basketball, and football.  “Relativity Sports is the natural progression of sports agencies,” said Happy Walters to Sports Agent Blog.  “This partnership offers athletes unheralded access to a true fusion of sports and entertainment.  In addition to their careers between the lines, we can offer our clients unmatched opportunities in film, television, music and gaming.”  This is a concept that sounds similar to what CAA employed when it entered into the ranks of representing athletes – provide players opportunities off the field/court that other agencies cannot offer.  However, Walters’ new firm may be able to offer something CAA cannot provide – direct integration into the content (film, tv, social media) Relativity Media creates.

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.

One reply on “Combination of Happy Walters, Eugene Parker & SFX Baseball Could Create the Strongest Multi-Sport Agency in America”

Sports conglomerates are emerging and drastically changing the sports landscape. Competition is sorely needed for the industries giant, CAA. Eugene Parker needs to make a strategic move, as his business has been tepid that past few years.

Comments are closed.